About this item
Over the past 180 years scientists have sifted through evidence that at least twenty-seven human species have evolved on planet Earth. And as you may have noticed, twenty-six of them are no longer with us, done in by their environment, predators, disease, or the unfortunate shortcomings of their DNA. What enabled us to survive when so many other human species were shown the evolutionary door? Last Ape Standing: The Seven-Million-Year Story of How and Why We Survived by acclaimed science journalist Chip Walter tells the intriguing tale of how against all odds and despite nature's brutal and capricious ways we stand here today, the only surviving humans, and the planet's most dominant species.Drawing on a wide variety of scientific disciplines, Walter reveals how a rare evolutionary phenomenon led to the uniquely long childhoods that make us so resourceful and emotionally complex.
About the Author
Chip Walter is the author of Last Ape Standing, a former CNN Bureau Chief, documentary filmmaker and screenwriter. His articles have been published in Slate, The Economist, Wall St. Journal, Scientific American and many other publications and his books have been published in six languages. His other books include, Thumbs, Toes and Tears -- And Other Traits That Make Us HUman; I'm Working on That (written with William Shatner) and Space Age (a companion volume to the PBS series of the same title) . He lives in Pittsburgh with his wife Cyndy. Their four children are scattered all over the country, but they are still a family.
